Your tips for success with slimming world

[Pootler]

Five things that are helping me stay on plan for the first time EVER:

Make meals ahead and freeze them. I make 4 portions and freeze three. Use for lunches at work, or dinners when you can't be bothered to cook. Write the syn value on each portion.

Bag up treats into smaller ready-to-go portions with the syns calculated already and written on the bag.

Plan a few days ahead so that I'm not left standing in the kitchen, wondering what to eat in the evenings, and I know what I'm taking to work to eat. No room for getting frustrated/caught out and eating off plan then.

Eat the superfree foods on my plate first.

Make SW-friendly versions of really indulgent foods.

 

[helzzz]

My top tips:

1) Read this site for recipes & inspiration

2) Re-read your book - I always forget about the extended HEBs on red & green days

3) Half way through your meal stop and think 'have I eaten enough?' If so stop, if not eat another quarter of plate and do the same and keep going. Sometimes you'll finish it, sometimes you realise you don't want it all.

4) Plan your meals for the week - makes shopping really easy and cooking much easier as you don't have to think about it at the time. This also means that if you know you'll have a busy day you can plan to cook something quick and easy. While you're planning use magazines / books so that you know how many syns you'll use for each meal (and how many you can have for snacks / treats)

5) When you're in the kitchen cooking evening meal prepare tomorrow's lunch at the same time (sometimes this will involve cooking extra pasta / rice that you can use the next day).

6) Have syns for stuff you regularly use (sauces, butter, oil etc) on a list on the fridges or on the packets themselves - saves looking them up every time or guessing.

7) Use level tsp / tbs rather than rounded - this can double your syns without realising.

8) Use syns to treat yourself - you shouldn't feel deprived. Your syns are there to be eaten - use them all.

9) Drink plenty of water (or other liquids). I aim for at least 2 litres a day.

10) Enjoy all of the different foods that you can eat!

Wow - didn't think I'd have had so many tips when I started typing!!

 

[Moo85]

things that have helped me:
- getting a decent set of digital scales for weighing HEs/syns etc

- using measuring cups/spoons for accurate HEs/syns (they are really cheap from Ikea)

- being honest with myself; I AM going to snack sometimes, I WONT be bothered making my lunch for work the night before every single day, so looking up low syn snacks and pre-packed lunches online so I know what i can buy that wont cause me to go off plan

- trying new foods or foods I thought I didnt like because they were free! sometimes you surprise yourself!

- doing a food diary every day

 

[SlimmingKitchen]

On weds at class the consultant asked how many people actually read through their food optimising book and also use the sw site.
It is surprising how many people actually admitted to going home from class and not looking through either of the books or the sw site for the whole week.

For me the book/website is like a bible. I use it all the time to be sure I am having the correct amount of things or wanting to know if something is superfree, superspeed or whatever else and I also love looking for new healthy extras to try too.

So a big tip is to keep looking at the book, dont guess things or even get into the habit of eating the same things over and over again. For me the variety of meals and different healthy extras is what keeps me motivated and stops me getting bored of the plan.
xxxx

 

[Mala23]

Brilliant thread!

1) Weigh everything you need to. Even with HE's - it makes all the difference between a gain or a loss at the end of the week.

2) When you're starting to get full, concentrate on finishing your superfree food and fill up on that.

3) Eat slowly - you'll be able to feel when you're full and eat less.

4) Take regular photos and measurements of your body. Even if you don't have a significant weight loss one week, just measuring yourself and knowing you have lost inches or comparing photos of old and recent self will work wonders and make you feel happy.

5) Break your goal down, when you reach your smaller goals treat yourself - for example - allow yourself to eat a meal you normally wouldn't, or buy yourself something new. Celebrate your loss!

6) Try and remember (I know it's hard to sometimes) that it's taken you a long time to accumulate the weight, even years and years...and to lose even a few pound or a stone in the amount of time you have is a huge achievement and something to be proud of!

7) Change your meals - experiment! Keep variety in order to lose weight. Get creative when you can, and look up new recipes online.

 

[Wannabeaminime]

Fab fab tips. Im new to this so must admit atm i have no tips xx

 

[Josiecat]

The measuring thing is such a good tip! I was using teaspoons of nutella and sinning them but when I actually weighed the nutella instead of doing a tsp I found it was far more syns that I thought! Obviously I am no good at guessing a level tsp hehe!

I would like to add a tip to try and avoid using syns on alcohol too much. Because when you have had some alcohol, it makes you less likely to stick to plan as your inhibitions tend to lower. (well it does me anyway)

Secondly, if you have little or no weight loss in the first week, don't give up! I lost 1 pound in week one and was devastated really but then in week 2 I mixed up EE with red days and lost 2 pounds and then the same again the following week.
For some people, weight loss takes a couple of weeks to kick in. Also some plans suit others better. I have terrible trouble with pasta and potatoes, they fill me up in the short term but then about 1 hour later I crave sweet things. Yet if I have meat, egg or veggies, I tend to snack less and not have sugar cravings. Therefore I stick mainly to red days now.
Others find green work better for them.

Don't deny yourself syns either. I am always eating my full 15, quite often more . But if you allow yourself the maximum at the beginning, you have some leeway if weight loss stops later down the line as you can reduce them down in increments.

 

[Yoyo dieter]

Have some store cupboard ingredients handy to make very low syn comfort food if you feel yourself waivering. My fave is egg fried rice made by frying up any left over veg in frylight with a bit of garlic and onion. Add plain boiled rice to the pan. Crack an egg and cook it in the side of the pan. Mix thru. Add soy sauce, a bit of chilli powder and the ingredient that instantly tastes like fried rice...half a teaspoon of sesame oil. Filling up on a taste explosion that is reminiscent of naughty takeaways helps me stay on track

 

[Anne2705]

Have some store cupboard ingredients handy to make very low syn comfort food if you feel yourself waivering. My fave is egg fried rice made by frying up any left over veg in frylight with a bit of garlic and onion. Add plain boiled rice to the pan. Crack an egg and cook it in the side of the pan. Mix thru. Add soy sauce, a bit of chilli powder and the ingredient that instantly tastes like fried rice...half a teaspoon of sesame oil. Filling up on a taste explosion that is reminiscent of naughty takeaways helps me stay on track

Oooo will give this a go thanks for posting

 

[*Emsie*]

Treat yourself along the way to a nice outfit (or two ) that shows off your achievements not hides them under baggy clothes

 

[chezzylou]

I havent been with SW long but i have picked up a few things

1. I freeze grapes.. they are really sweet and lovely to munch on as they take a while to get through

2. I love my milk and so each day i measure out my daily limit as to stop me going over as my HA

3.dont get too hungry as this will both slow down your metabolism and tempt you to binge.

4. I have been told by my SW consultant to take vitamin c suppulaments as it increases the rate fat is pushed through the body.
There are other vitamins to help with this too

xx

 

[chezzylou]

Have some store cupboard ingredients handy to make very low syn comfort food if you feel yourself waivering. My fave is egg fried rice made by frying up any left over veg in frylight with a bit of garlic and onion. Add plain boiled rice to the pan. Crack an egg and cook it in the side of the pan. Mix thru. Add soy sauce, a bit of chilli powder and the ingredient that instantly tastes like fried rice...half a teaspoon of sesame oil. Filling up on a taste explosion that is reminiscent of naughty takeaways helps me stay on track

that sounds really good! i never thought of fried rice. Iv been wanting something nice like this to take to work.
Thanks!
xx

 

[Sweethearts]

Just read through this thread and it helped alot! Thanks

 

[lishaa]

My tip is to take a picture on your phone of everything you eat.
It sounds silly but I find it useful especially if I'm out at uni or work or whatever & don't necessarily have time to sit and fill in a written diary there and then & it stops you filling in your diary later and guessing/lying to yourself.

& the proof is in the pudding I guess because the weeks I've been religious about taking pictures I get the best losses

 

[Browsie]

Love this thread!

My top tips are:

1) Plan your days food in advance with lots of superfree, include HEAX's and syns. I do this when at work and I know I can eat everything in my bag without having to think / worry about it.

2) Live your life! Don't not go out just because you are trying to lose weight. If you can lose the weight while still living you've got less of a chance of putting it back on when you get to targert and eat 'normally' again.

3) When your going out for a meal, have a look at the menu in advance (when your not hungry) and pick your meal. I find doing this I will choose SW friendly options rather than thinking sod it when I get to the the restaurant after a couple of drinks!

4) Drink plenty of water, often thirst is mistaken for hunger.

5) Don't be too hard on yourself, nobody is perfect. If you have a bad day / week or in my case months! Move on and don't get dishartened, YOU CAN DO IT!

xxx

 

[krupskaya]

My main tip is to trust the plan. Sometimes I've fallen into the trap of thinking less is more - cutting the food intake to shift some extra poundage. It doesn't work like that though as if you deprive yourself you cave in much easier to cravings and are in danger of binging. Plus you slow your metabolism. What with free food, superfree food, HEs a and b and syns, you're eating a LOT of food. But it works. You just need to trust the plan because the proof of the pudding.. well you know!

 

[VeggieBev]

I was thinking of starting a similar thread when I came across this one so thought I'd post to "revive" it.

Some things that have helped me are:

1. Encouraging my other half to buy snacks that I don't like, e.g. I hate meat flavoured crisps but he loves them so he buys them instead of crisps we both like so there is no temptation for me.
2. Asking for my vodka and Diet Coke in a really tall glass and having it topped right up to the top with Diet Coke. It lasts me longer and quite often when everyone is ready for the next round, I'm still happy sipping away.
3. Looking at menus before going out for dinner and deciding on the best option. If I do this I don't even open the menu when I'm in the restaurant so again, no temptation.
4. Not taking any loose change to work with me. It sounds ridiculous but I would never split a £10 or £20 note for a packet of crisps whereas if I have change I'm so much more tempted to pop to the canteen or vending machine.
5. Keeping free Mugshots in my drawer at work for days when I don't have time to pack something for lunch.
6. Keeping a jug of no added sugar squash made up in the fridge. I know I don't drink nearly enough so that makes it easy to tell how much I've had (or haven't had!) to drink.

I think that's it for now but it would be great to have some other tips added to this.

x

 

[maria 22]

As a newbie, appreciate the great tips, thanks